Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that he is able to measure the direct cost in the figure of €37.5 million this year. We are six months on and, as the Minister of State has said, it still has not been fully resolved. The indirect costs are much more difficult to measure but I have no doubt that we are talking about tens of millions of euro with regard to the loss of productivity and the impact it has had. It has also had an impact on patients' lives. My concern on the broader issue around cybersecurity relates to whether, as a State, we are taking it sufficiently seriously. It requires a cross-government approach. On top of that, I again encourage us to look at partnering with the EU and other democracies through PESCO and other agencies. This is a matter of national defence and security. The Minister of State has said that this attack was unprecedented. He is correct, but I must say to the Minister of State that we are going to see a lot more of it. That is why we need to take it seriously.